ro'jack brace!"

"Jammed, by G--d!" said the bo'sun, taking a squint over the side at the
racing water and the ship rolling helplessly in the trough of the seas,
"jammed, by G--d! like Jackson's cat."

The ship was in irons. "Would they ever get out of this fix?" thought
Harper, while he listened to the skipper shouting orders to the man at
the wheel, as she gathered stern-way and heard the Russian Finn's hoarse:

"Helm's amidships, sir," in reply. He was a plucky old man, old Alick
MacDonald, given to carrying on as long as he dared, which was a good
deal longer than most men would have dared, and his second mate had
seen him in some very tight places already, but his good luck had always
stood him in good stead; would it hold good once more?

Gradually the ship paid off, slowly her nose came round, and Harper,
looking at the foaming line of breakers, thought how perilously close
they were. But--but--surely after all she would come through scot free,
a moment more--only a moment more. The moon came from behind the heavy
clouds paling the light ashore before her bright rays, and showing them
just for a second the seething white water all around. So close was the
danger, every man held his breath.

"We're clear!" The words were on Harper's lips, then--crash--the ship
struck with a sickening shock that shook her from stem to stern, and
brought down the foreto'g'll't mast from aloft with all its tackle,
and strewed the deck with wreckage. In a moment the men had dropped the
ropes and rushed as one man aft to be clear of the falling top hamper.

"Stand fast, men, stand fast!" sung out Harper. "Where are you off to
there?"

"Well," growled the bo'sun, who still stood by the second mate, "hell's
the next port, if you ask me!" And his companion could not but wonder
at his coolness. He too, clinging for life, realized that the good ship
_Vanity_ was a total wreck, and as he realized it, he raised his eyes
and saw the light, which had been their guiding star till now, go
suddenly out and leave all the cliff in pitchy darkness.

Crash went the ship again, bumping heavily and bringing down more hamper
from aloft to add to the confusion on deck, and sea after sea swept over
her. The two men scrambled aft, and above the thunder of the seas
that fell aboard and the roar of the breakers that were not to be
disappointed of their prey, heard the skipper shouting orders for the
launching of the life-boat. It seemed to Harper no b